In the afternoon of Sunday, December 4th, 2023, patient families gathered for holiday cheer at The Armory STL. Guests were met by Storm Troopers, Wookiees, Jedi, and other Star Wars characters, as well as Disney's Elsa and Belle, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolf.
Santa was in attendance (yes, THE Santa) and he took photos with families while playing silly pranks to get more smiles. Kids wrote letters to Santa with their wish lists and placed them inside his special mailbox.
"I think that was the real Santa and not one of his assistants," one guest explained. "His mustache and beard were real and it's the same outfit I've seen Santa wearing in movies, so it was definitely him."
More magical experiences were offered with Hart of the City Photo Booth, balloon twisting from Top Hat Entertainment, games with big prizes, arts and crafts, a life sized snow globe by 3D Softplay, paintable cookies by Baby Bears Bakery, and a candy bar.
Families played games on the lower level of The Armory STL, like air hockey, ping pong, cornhole, and other lawn games.
Friends of Kids staff and volunteers enjoyed seeing our friend's smiles. Finding ways to engage with patient families to bring smiles and normalcy to their everyday lives, especially during the holiday season, remains our focus.
A special thank you to our Star Wars friends from the 501st Legion and Dreamtime Princess Events.
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to all!
Find photos to view, download, or purchase prints on SmugMug.
